Yes we’ve all heard the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And the reason we’ve all heard it is because it’s a VERY old saying and lately there has been a lot of research to prove that apples have many health benefits.

The original saying originated in Wales back in the mid-1800’s. The February 1866 edition of Notes and Queries magazine included this text: “A Pembrokeshire proverb. Eat an apple on going to bed, And you’ll keep the doctor from earning his bread.” And a few years later in 1913, Elizabeth Wright recorded a Devonian dialect version and also the first known mention of the version we use now, in Rustic Speech and Folk-lore: “Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An’ you’ll make the doctor beg his bread; or as the more popular version runs: An apple a day Keeps the doctor away.”
Obviously the medicinal properties about apples that we understand now weren’t being promoted but more than likely it was eating fruit was a good thing to do. But lately there has been a lot of research that apples indeed have many medical benefits. Here’s just a short list:
· Apples contain Vitamin C for which helps your immune system

· They help prevent heart diseases because they are rich in flavonoid.

· They are low in calories. Apples have only 70 -100 calories for a fulfilling, tasty snack.

· They also contain phytonutrients which prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

On top of all these healthy reasons to eat apples is that they come in an amazingly wonderful assortment of flavors, colors and sizes. If variety is the spice of life, then apples are the perfect variety for a healthier life. I’m a Fuji apple guy, myself. What’s your favorite type of apple?

~Ron Kaz

**This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your primary care physician.